Your going your hunt of a lifetome what are you hunting and what rifle are you using ? Mine is easy

One of my dream hunts is about to take place. I leave for New Zealand next week for a Red Stag hunt near Kaikoura. I'll turn 75 while there and hope to take him on my birthday. I'll be shooting one of their rifles because New Zealand is a royal pain in the butt for bringing in "your" rifle and also because I plan to travel afterwards.

I've been to Alaska several times since Covid hit and I want to go back for a Grizzly and Moose.
I was lucky enough to take a Dall Sheep on my second try that made Boone and Crocket.

A word of advice from Tonto. Do all of your hard hunts while young and save Africa for later when your body isn't at it's best condition. I was stupid and doing it backwards. Hah
Glad you're making it to New Zealand. I just wanted to say that it was very easy for us to get our rifles into New Zealand. We had no issues at all. Very similar to South Africa. Now traveling with a firearm in New Zealand is a different story. Impossible. If you have a good outfitter, as we did, they will hold it for you and meet you at the airport upon your return flight. Best of Luck with the Stag and please post the pics.
 
I'm sort of going to hijack this thread a bit, but... based upon the topic, the replies and the readers I believe it is relevant. I am turning 78 years old this year. I have health issues that make walking long distances extremely challenging. My hunt of a life time happens every year when I black bear hunt, over bait in Maine with my son and my adopted son. While we are there hunting, we already are planning next year's hunt. Getting ready for the hunt is as much fun as the actual hunt itself. At the writing of this reply, 4/15/24, there are 146 days before we leave on our next bear hunt with a new outfitter; not that anyone is counting. Our hunts are primarily done with three Ruger 77s in 35 Whelen, however there are a few mongrels in there like two vintage Marlin 1895s in 45-70, a new Ruger 1895 in 45-70 (nice bear rifle), a couple of 30-06s, and a .358 Winchester. We've/I have pretty much put all of these rifles together by glass/pillar bedding, refinishing stocks and installing recoil pads on all of these rifles. So.... these rifles are "our" personal bear hunting rigs. We have already started getting to the range and shooting for our September hunt. We spend a lot of time together busting chops and competing against each other while we shoot. Every year at Christmas time I give us all a cup with the year and three memorable photos from that trip. At this time of the year I will send my two sons photos of last year's cup that I am using for my breakfast, as I did this morning, telling them both that there are only 146 days left before we leave on our next bear hunt.

I used to hunt on a regular basis and then a stopped for many years. I didn't start up again until 2015 while at a barbecue. I was sitting next to my ex-wife's cousin who was telling me about all of adventures of his black bear hunting in Maine. I am sure that there are many reader her who can relate to having one of these guys in their family or in their lives. I kept telling him that I was going to do that some day. The cousin kept telling me his stories, and I kept saying that I was going to do that some day. Well... after a few more, "I'm going to do that some day," I started to think about it. I thought to myself that I did not want to be that guy who is sitting on the front porch of a nursing home, rocking back and forth and saying to myself, "I wish I had gone bear hunting with Donald!!" So I got the phone number from his outfitter, booked the trip right from the barbecue and went bear hunting for the first time in 2015. In 2016 I introduced my son to bear hunting, and today we have the hunt of a lifetime every year. Three years ago we introduced my son's best friend from high school, my adopted son, to bear hunting and he too got hooked the first time out.

All I am saying here to you all who are reading this thread, don't "wish" for the "hunt of a lifetime", make it happen. It doesn't have to be in Africa or some exotic place, shooting some exotic, trophy animal. Make it happen today. Make memories that are going to last a "life time" with those who love/mean something to you. For me in 146 days I will be going on a "the hunting trip of a lifetime" because it could be the end of my lifetime. I fear that next year there will only be two guys on that coffee cup instead of the three that are presently on that cup!! Life is passing us buy, and... one thing we cannot buy or get back is time. While I was in my forties, it never entered my mind that I was going to be in the physical condition that I am in today. I get up in the morning, look in the mirror and ask myself, "How the hell did you get here!!???"

As for the OP, if I had a chance to go on a mule deer hunt say in Wyoming or Colorado or someplace that has mule deer and I could take my two sons that would make for a great trip. We have custom made Ruger 77s in .270 Ackley Improved cartridges, those would be the rifle/cartridges of choice. And.... it would not be a trip of a lifetime, it would be another great trip of making great memories with two people who mean the world to me.
 
Glad you're making it to New Zealand. I just wanted to say that it was very easy for us to get our rifles into New Zealand. We had no issues at all. Very similar to South Africa. Now traveling with a firearm in New Zealand is a different story. Impossible. If you have a good outfitter, as we did, they will hold it for you and meet you at the airport upon your return flight. Best of Luck with the Stag and please post the pics.
I hunted in New Zealand last spring and borrowed my outfitter's rifle, because I stopped in Australia first (not hunting). Things have changed...back in 2003 I hunted and took my rifle every place I went. After my hunt, my outfitter had a suggestion: go hunt in the park on our own. We had a helicopter drop us off in a park; I had a fishing rod and my .300 SAUM. My wife and I hiked about 30 miles following two rivers, then got picked up by a jet boat that catered to fishermen. The boat dropped us off on the highway, which our helicopter pilot said was near his house - just hitchhike back. Believe it or not, the first car that came by picked us up, even though I clearly had a rifle.

The first time I hunted in Scotland I got my gun permit in the airport, and then kept it with me for the entire visit, which included visiting friends in Manchester England. That was about 20 years ago; I wonder if that has changed as well. The last time I hunted in Scotland, I rented a gun. I have borrowed rifles for hunts in Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand, but with the exception of Australia (shots at water buff are not long), I would have preferred to bring my own.
 
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I suppose my trip of a lifetime would be hunting Alaskan brown bear with my Ruger 77RS chambered in 35 Whelen. If I had the opportunity I would also be hunting moose and caribou on the same trip. Also having my 7mm prc along for backup for shots out of the 35 Whelen's range. I just love that o'l caliber.
 
I would love to go on a Marco Polo Sheep hunt along with an argoli....Since i would be in the neighborhood...Hard to beat the 28 Nosler for both...That would be my dream hunt....An African Lion hunt would be a blast also, But the last time a Dentist shot a famed lion, it created quite a stir...so i kinda gotta pass on that..
 
I would love to go on a Marco Polo Sheep hunt along with an argoli....Since i would be in the neighborhood...Hard to beat the 28 Nosler for both...That would be my dream hunt....An African Lion hunt would be a blast also, But the last time a Dentist shot a famed lion, it created quite a stir...so i kinda gotta pass on that..
Marco Polo is something I have not done. Ditto for Lord Derby Eland, bongo, and Mountain nyala. I was seriously going to go for MP, but I am not sure how much fun it would be (logistically it is a huge PIA) and at this point in my life, I am done "collecting" just to say "I shot that." I want to have fun.
 
I walk out my back door... he's there.

The neighborhood is quiet. I grab grandpa's .270.

My shot rings out...as I finally dump that massive buck that parades around like an a$$hole after every season I make my annual Californian tag soup dinner...

I skin him out and parade around the neighborhood wearing him like a cape...I'm naked.
 
I walk out my back door... he's there.

The neighborhood is quiet. I grab grandpa's .270.

My shot rings out...as I finally dump that massive buck that parades around like an a$$hole after every season I make my annual Californian tag soup dinner...

I skin him out and parade around the neighborhood wearing him like a cape...I'm naked.
Your neighbor!

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I walk out my back door... he's there.

The neighborhood is quiet. I grab grandpa's .270.

My shot rings out...as I finally dump that massive buck that parades around like an a$$hole after every season I make my annual Californian tag soup dinner...

I skin him out and parade around the neighborhood wearing him like a cape...I'm naked.
Have you mentioned this to your psychiatrist during counseling? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
At 79, my dream hunt is another 8-point, or bigger, buck at a TN wildlife Management Area on public land. My buddy and I hunt hard in November. My favorite hunting rifle is a self-bedded and self-Cerakoted 308 Remington with a Brownells 20-inch barrel installed by a gunsmith. The deer was taken with my shoot-my-eye-out 7mm Remington Magnum bought on impulse on a 24-December from Walmart in a plastic stock to subsequently be self-bedded in an old Remington Bell & Carlson stock. That 7mm rifle was used because the 308 fell out of the car the previous week and I did not have the time to check zero.

At 80, I am scheduled for a bison hunt in Nebraska with my CZ 375 H&H or a yet-to-be-made 300WM as the place insists on the behind-the ear shot. I have the carbon fiber tripod already! My wife is going, too which makes it great.
 

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I counted up 55 nikons scopes on my rifles that I use. I used them in alaska through every kind of torment you can think of no problems. I have used them 40 years. I wish they had kept making scopes. MY LOAD for that 338-378 is 250 grain nosker partition. I have not found a more accurate bullet for that guN.i do want to find a good 200 grain bullet for it for long range shots and the recoil is hardly nothing with the 200 grain bullets in that rifle .hope everyone gets to go in their dream hint .I picked Alaska over Africa long ago because I wanted to live in Alaska and I did 12 years. I used the 338 win mag at first then the 338-378 came out and I was hooked .
Try a Tract scope . The owners were engineers at Nikon .
 
Mine might sound stupid to most of you, but really any western critter with my kids. Really don't care about which rifle, I love em all. Just a good hunt that I can spend time with the kids and hopefully bring some meat and hopefully some decent horns home. I don't need a trophy just something nice to have the memories of the time with them.
The kids make some bucks here in upstate ny… they have quite a few farmers paying $2 a piece for woodchuck kills.
We bring the 17 fireball, the 223 and some sweet shooting winchester target rifles in 222, 308 and 30 gov 06.
Yeah im that old, I bring the donaldson and the mach.
 

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